Southwest Airlines Introduces Green Plane

The airline will also be kicking off a new onboard recycling program on November 1.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 10/27/2009

When passengers view Southwest Airlines new environmentally friendly Boeing 737-700 prototype for the first time there's a good chance they will be driven to channel Hervé Villechaize's Fantasy Island character, Tattoo, and exclaim, "Green Plane! Green Plane!"

The budget airline announced their plans for creating the verdant vehicle at its annual media day on October 21. The main aim of the plane is to reduce weight savings by almost five pound per seat, thus saving fuel and reducing emissions.

The aircraft will serve as a test environment for new recyclable materials and products designed with customers' comfort in mind. Most prominent is the 100 percent recyclable InterfaceFLOR carpet that will be installed in sections in the plane, eliminating the need for total replacement of areas like aisles where the airline currently uses a single piece of carpet.

The airline is also testing two new upholstery products on the aircraft's seats, which it believes will offer twice the durability of its current leather seats while reducing their individual weights by almost two pounds. The first product, e-Leather, is a man-made scuff-resistant product made from recycled materials that have been discarded by the leather industry. Across the aisle, the airline is trying out IZIT Leather, a lightweight calfskin-like product that has the durability, appearance, and touch of the real thing.

Southwest is also experimenting with lightweight life-vest pouches, replacing the current metal containers with ones made out of durable canvas, that will also create more room under seats for carry-on items. The airline is also looking to reduce weight by filling seats with Garnier PURtec foam fill.

In addition to the green plane, the airline will also be kicking off a new, more robust onboard recycling program on November 1. The 18-month process will result in a co-mingled system between its ground and flight crews that will allow Southwest to capture more recyclable material and divert it from the waste stream.

"Southwest is proud to lead the aviation industry in environmental stewardship and honored to be working with these eco-friendly vendors and our partners at Boeing," says Southwest chairman, president, and CEO, Gary Kelly. "As we look to the future, we know climate change remains of vital importance to our industry, our company, and our customers…"